The total number of men now accused of offences in the probe into historical child abuse at care homes across North Wales is nine

Six men are due in court today to face charges in connection with an investigation into child abuse at care homes across North Wales in the 1980s.

The accused will make their first court appearance at Mold Magistrates' Court in Flintshire.

The total number of men now accused of offences in the investigation named Operation Pallial is nine, as detectives from the National Crime Agency (NCA) continue to look at claims involving 28 institutions.

The six men appearing today are:

Mark Granger, also known as Gary Cooke, 63, from Leicester, charged with three counts of indecent assault and two counts of buggery;

Marc Roy Norry, 54, from Connah's Quay, North Wales, accused of four counts of indecent assault, one count of buggery and one count of attempted buggery;

David Lightfoot, 71, from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, charged with three counts of indecent assault, one count of buggery and one count of attempted buggery;

Edward Huxley, 69, from Maidenhead, Berkshire, accused of two counts of indecent assault;

Keith Stokes, 61, from Farndon, Chester, charged with three counts of indecent assault, three counts of gross indecency, one count of buggery and one count of attempted buggery;

A 62-year-old man from the Wrexham area, who has not been named by the NCA, also scheduled to appear today accused of one count of indecent assault.

All the offences relate to two boys, aged under 16, and are said to have been committed at addresses in the Wrexham area between 1981 and 1986.

Latest figures show 46 people have been identified as suspects under Operation Pallial, with 20 arrests made and eight people attending police stations voluntarily for interview. Sixteen are believed to have died.

A total of 271 people have reported allegations to the NCA, and information from 221 is under active investigation.

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